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Wasserschierling

Water hemlocks are a very poisonous plant species. All parts of the plant are poisonous and can be fatal within 15 minutes.

Waterhemlocks grow in marshy areas of meadows and on the banks of streams, lakes and rivers. Poisoning occasionally occurs when water hemlocks are mistaken for edible plants such as artichokes, celery, sweet potatoes or wild parsnip. Although water hemlocks are extremely poisonous, some people use them as medicine for migraine headaches, painful menstruation and intestinal worm infestations. Some people apply water hemlock products directly to the skin for redness and inflammatory swelling.

How do water hemlock products work?

Waterhemlocks contain toxic ingredients and can have dangerous effects on the body.

How effective are water hemlock products?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of water hemlock products taken orally for migraine headaches, painful menstrual periods and intestinal worm infestations, or of water hemlock products applied directly to the affected areas for skin redness and inflammatory swelling. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of water hemlock products in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Waterhemlock products are not safe and harmless when taken orally or applied to the skin. All parts of the plant are toxic and can be fatal within 15 minutes. Even applying water hemlock products to the skin can be fatal. If you have accidentally ingested water hemlock, you should seek medical treatment immediately. The first symptoms of water hemlock poisoning are drooling, nausea, vomiting, wheezing, sweating, dizziness, stomach pain, flushing, weakness, fatigue, lethargy, delirium and uncontrollable bowel movements. These symptoms are followed by more serious symptoms including breathing problems, seizures, heart problems, kidney failure, coma and death.

Precautions and warnings

The use of water hemlock products is not safe for anyone, but certain groups of people have additional reasons to avoid water hemlock products:

Children: the use of water hemlock products can be fatal, and this is especially true in children. Even small amounts of water hemlock products can lead to poisoning in children. Children have died from using the hollow stems of water hemlock as puffing tubes or pipes or from rubbing the plant on their skin.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: The use of water hemlock products can be fatal for the mother and the unborn child.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining water hemlock products with the following medications:

Lithium

Waterhemlock products may have a dehydrating (diuretic) effect. Taking water hemlock products may interfere with the body's excretion of lithium, which could result in increased lithium levels and serious side effects. For this reason, it is important to consult your doctor before using water hemlock products if you are taking lithium. The lithium dosage may need to be adjusted.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of water hemlock products depends on various factors such as age, health status and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for water hemlock products. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

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